


Sunshine, Shadow, Whisper

by ETWriter



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Coffee family, Family, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Post-Canon, gen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2020-03-01 00:03:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18788971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ETWriter/pseuds/ETWriter
Summary: Akira comes back home after graduating high school.





	Sunshine, Shadow, Whisper

It was ridiculous, really.

Akira stood at the end of the street, taking in the plants outside LeBlanc, the red and white cover above the door, the faint steam from the bathhouse across the street. The faint coffee and curry smell lingering was as familiar as his own face in the glass, enticing him to come closer, whispering reassurances of home, but his feet were rooted to the spot.

All he had to do was walk forward ten steps. He’d done it thousands of times without thinking a year ago, so why was his stomach fluttering like it was the first time all over again?

“It’s okay to be nervous,” Morgana broke the silence.

“I’m not nervous,” Akira lied and adjusted the bag strap on his shoulder, then slipped his hands in his pockets.

He took a steadying breath and started walking, his posture and pace relaxed even though his heart was pounding inside, and when he passed the window there was a familiar squeal. He opened the door with a smile only to grunt and stagger back as Futaba collided into him. One hand grabbed hold of the doorframe to keep his balance while the other wrapped automatically around the younger girl.

“Finally!” she peered up at him, her chin digging into his sternum, and it was a relief to see that, although she’d grown, she still didn’t quite come up to his chin. “What, did you get lost or something? You’d better not have forgotten the way!”

“Hello to you too!” Morgana chimed, winding himself around their legs, and Futaba pulled away and bent down to grab his cheeks and a cry of,

“Mona!”

“Ahem.” Akira looked in the direction of the cough. Sojiro was standing behind the counter with a tea towel over his shoulder, trying to look stern. “You’re blocking the door.”

“Not like you have any customers anyway,” Futaba said, ignoring Morgana’s wails as she squished his cheeks.

“Hey now!”

It wasn’t a surprise to look around and see she was correct, given it was early evening. Most of LeBlanc’s regulars usually disappeared around that time. Sometimes Akira wondered how Sojiro was able to keep the place open, but he’d resolved long ago to never question the magic.

“Seriously though, your train got in ages ago, I triple checked,” Futaba crossed her arms. “What took you?”

“This guy wanted to stop and take in the sights,” Morgana covered for him.

“It probably takes some adjusting to after a year away, huh?” Sojiro mused. “Well, you’re here now. You want anything?” Akira was about to refuse but then, as if it had been waiting for this moment, his stomach rumbled.

“Oho!” Futaba cackled and poked where the noise had come from. “Hunger debuff confirmed.”

“Sit down then,” Sojiro chuckled. “I think I’ve got some leftovers somewhere. There’s probably something for the cat too.”

“Liar liar pants on fire,” Futaba stage-whispered. “He prepared it specially for you two.”

The older man kept his back to them, setting about reheating the curry, but he also didn’t deny it, and whatever anxiety had gripped Akira the moment he’d caught sight of the café before faded, replaced with a feeling that would keep him warm even on the coldest of days.

“Thank you,” he said, the words coming out a bit thicker than he’d like.

“Yeah, thanks Boss!” Morgana jumped up on the counter.

Sojiro dismissed them with a handwave, before turning to Futaba and asking, “Could you -?”

“On it!” Futaba dashed to join him and, a few minutes later, placed Morgana’s meal in front of him with a flourish. “Tada!”

“Is that sushi?!” Morgana gasped. “Futaba, you’re amazing!”

“Duh.”

“Yours’ll be a few minutes more,” Sojiro said. Akira nodded, hoping he didn’t look as eager as he felt.

The curry, when it came, was the best meal he’d had in weeks, if not months – and only part of it was due to the taste. Sitting there and trying not to stuff his face while Futaba chattered on with Morgana and Sojiro chimed in every so often was the most relaxed he’d been since… well, the last time he’d been here, if he were honest.

“By the way, this is for you,” Sojiro said, when the dishes had been put in the sink and they were all sipping on their coffees. He pulled out a slightly crumpled envelope and held it out. “For your good grades.” Akira stared and wondered how he knew.

“Did you think I wouldn’t look?” Futaba scoffed, and that was answer enough.

“I know it’s not much compared to what your parents probably gave you, but…” Sojiro rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, looking uncomfortable, and Akira knew he needed to reach out and take the money, say thank you and not make a fuss because Sojiro wasn’t that kind of guy, but –

His parents hadn’t given him anything.

At the time he hadn’t cared. He hadn’t done it for them, he’d done it to make sure he had every opportunity that had been denied to him last year, whether he wanted to take it or not, and it wasn’t as if they hadn’t been pleased. It was just…

“Akira?” Futaba leaned against him and started hugging his arm.

“Sorry,” he shook himself and took the envelope, to Sojiro’s obvious relief. “Thank you. It -” his throat threatened to tighten so he coughed to clear it. He tried again. “It means a lot.”

“It’s been a long day,” Morgana covered for him again and Akira mentally promised to pay him back for it. “Is it okay if we head upstairs?”

“Actually…” Futaba dragged Akira out the chair and towards the door. “There’s something we have to show you first. Sojiro! Surprise time!”

“You go on ahead while I close up,” Sojiro said.

“Ooo, a surprise?” Morgana followed at their heels. “What kind of surprise? Is it more sushi?”

“Nope!” she stopped only to pick him up, before continuing to march down the street. It didn’t take long to realise where they were going, took even less to get there. Just like before, when he’d stood in front of the café, Akira hesitated in front of the house while Futaba and Morgana made their way inside. The nerves from earlier threatened to make a comeback and then Futaba poked her head back out the door and huffed, “Akira! Make like a duckling and follow!”

How could he refuse?

Inside, the house hadn’t changed. He followed Futaba up the stairs and passed her room, only pausing to take in the fact the door was open, and then Futaba was tugging him forward to the spare room he’d stayed in briefly after the interrogation.

“Tada!” she pushed open the door with a flourish and beamed up at him.

“Wow!” Morgana gasped, while Akira’s breath caught.

The room hadn’t just been prepared for a guest; it had been decorated for him. The stars Yusuke had given were scattered across the ceiling, the I <3 Tokyo shirt from Futaba was hung up on a desk – the same desk which had been in the attic, that was nicked and dented with his initial attempts at lockpicks – and the plushies he’d won in the arcade on top, like they had been before. Even the poster of Rise was up, on the opposite wall to the Phantom Thieves one.

Clearly, Futaba and Sojiro had done their best to mimic the attic while working with half the space.

“… Do you like it?” Futaba asked, her earlier enthusiasm fading to nerves, and Akira realised he’d spent the past few minutes staring.

“It’s perfect,” he said, reaching out to her. She fell into him gladly, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his collarbone.

“You didn’t really think I was gonna make you stay at the café, did you?” Akira glanced over his shoulder to Sojiro, who correctly read the awkward silence and sighed. “I guess I’m not surprised. So, here’s the deal. I know you said you’d only stay a couple of weeks, ‘till you find your own place, but -”

“We want you to stay here!” Futaba interrupted, pulling back only to look down at Morgana and emphasise, “Both of you.”

Sojiro rubbed the back of his neck and there was a hint of colour on his cheeks as he admitted, “Well, that’s about the gist of it.”

“We won’t be in the way?” Morgana asked. 

“As if!”

They’d talked about it briefly, when Akira had confirmed he was coming back to Tokyo, but neither of them had wanted to impose longer than necessary – and, admittedly, while they’d both loved the café, the idea of having their own place had been more appealing. But this…

“For how long?” Akira had to ask, because he didn’t dare hope, because he knew if it wasn’t what they were implying then –

“As long as you like,” Sojiro stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder. “This is your room now. Whether it’s a few weeks, months… even years.”

“I already looked it up,” Futaba pulled out her phone and showed Akira the map on the screen. “It only takes fifty minutes to the university, you’re practically next door.”

“Well, Akira?” Morgana wound around his ankles. Akira looked between them all, took in their hopeful but nervous faces, and realised there was no contest at all. He nodded once, making Futaba cheer and hug him again.

“Alright! Mission accomplished!”


End file.
